Is it an iPad mini event, or a MacBook Pro event? Or both?

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The 13" Retina MacBook Pro rumors are back in anticipation of a possible Apple event next week. Not only has the rumored device allegedly been "confirmed" for the event, it's also said to sport an "unprecedented" battery design on the inside.

Apple introduced the 15" version of the Retina MacBook Pro during its 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference in June, but at the time offered no 13" Retina companion. But that didn't stop the geek world from speculating, and benchmarks claiming to be from a 13" Retina MacBook Pro surfaced in August amid continued buzz about the device.

On Sunday evening, 9to5 Mac claimed its own sources "at a high-profile US retailer" confirmed that the 13" Retina MacBook Pro would show up during a yet-to-be-announced Apple event next week. And on Monday, Chinese iPhone site WeiPhone.com corroborated that report, claiming the device would indeed be introduced this month. That's in addition to purported photos of the 13" Retina MacBook Pro's innards, showing a new battery design that mirrors that of the 15" Retina MacBook Pro. As noted by MacRumors, the forum member who posted the photos does have some track record of obtaining legit prerelease product photos.

The part to this rumor that gives us pause is the suggestion that Apple might mix its widely expected announcement of the so-called "iPad mini" with a 13" MacBook Pro. The company typically keeps its iOS device announcements separate from the Mac line. Now, if only Apple would actually announce the supposed event that's expected for October 23.

Update: 9to5 Mac has now published a new report claiming Apple also plans to introduce an updated Mac mini next week.

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Jacqui Cheng
Jacqui is an Editor at Large at Ars Technica, where she has spent the last eight years writing about Apple culture, gadgets, social networking, privacy, and more. Emailjacqui@arstechnica.com//Twitter@eJacqui